Post-SDCC sadness

The days after getting back from San Deigo Comic Con are filled with such a 'depression' (for a lack of a better word.) And... catching up on sleep. I had an AMAZING time this year (which I am so glad for, since I one of my best friends couldn't make it... I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself). I made some awesome new friends and I hope to return next year since I will not be able to go back the year after due to clinics in vet school. Now... down to what everyone wants to know...

I got up at 6:30am (after a bad nights sleep) and then drove myself to the Kansas City airport Wednesday morning (almost a 2.5 hour drive...) I arrived in San Diego around 3pm after a layover in Denver. Took a cab to the Marriot and Marquis to check into the hotel and drop my bags off. Then I went to find the bus that takes you to Town and Country to pick your badges up. They apparently moved it from last year, because it was all the way by Petco Park (a pretty far walk). The bus ride over there was over an hour long due to traffic, but I got my badge, and the Teen Titans swag bag I wanted in under 10 minutes. Then it was back to wait for the bus again. It was dinner-time by the time I got back and I grabbed some food and went back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.

I didn't sleep well again (being in a new place) and got up at around 6:30am to go get in line for the exhibit hall. My first goal was to hit up the Nickelodeon booth to get a Legend of Korra signing ticket. They were giving out 125 on Thursday and Friday and find the details on these lanyards I'd heard about to get into this rooftop party that Activision was having for the new Legend of Korra game. I got my Korra ticket (number 119... just barely!) and asked about the lanyard- which no one had info about. I then raced to the Activision booth (which apparently was the Skylanders booth) and no one there had information. So, back to the Nickelodeon booth again. I kept bugging the same woman about every hour just to check for updates on these lanyards while wandering the exhibit hall. Finally, I was told to go to some restaurant (Jolt n Joes I believe it was called) and they would be passing them out there at 5pm. I hit up the Mandalorian Mercs panel at around 1pm (Star Wars) and that was great... BTW. I head to Jolt n Joes later that day and get there an hour early... we form a line, and the guy eventually shows up and says 'I only have 25 of these' and starts tossing them at people. This incites mass chaos... and I didn't get one :( Such a bummer. I then have to go back to my hotel to get my stuff to camp out (and grab dinner along the way) and get in line for the 'Everything else line.' I decided against Hall H this year (though I partially regret it) in attempts to get a Game of Thrones signing ticket. After waiting all night, I didn't get one (due to the lottery system...)

I rejoin my friends in the Ballroom 20 line for the Legend of Korra panel and then leave during the Big Bang Theory panel to go to the exhibit hall. I learn they are going to be selling an exclusive I want at 12:30 and needed to get in line for it, so I rushed back up to get my things (so no Korra panel for me... I can always watch it later) and sit in the Lucasfilm/Jakks Pacific line for about 3 hours to get this GIANT Shadow Stormtrooper that I had to have shipped home for more than I bought it for (wouldn't fit in my luggage). It was still totally worth it. After I secured that, I went to the Nick booth to get in line for the Legend of Korra signing (at around 12:30, it started at 1:15) and inquired about the lanyards again. They were apparently giving them out to the first half of the people who lined up and I missed them again (since I was stuck in the other line). But the awesome lady I've been talking to said to find her after the signing and SHE GAVE ME ONE YAY!!! She was so so nice!! The signing itself was awesome! I managed to get my hands on the Legend of Korra Book 2 Spirits art book a few months before it came out at the Darkhorse booth and got that signed and a poster. I was in line for almost 3 hours, though... it was going so slow.
By the time it was over, the Game of Thrones signing was starting, so I was able to get a GLIMPSE of my wifey, Gwendoline Christie, from a distance in her beautiful black/white dress. But I was exhausted at that point and went to the hotel to try to take a nap. I was planning on doing another night of camping out. Napping didn't go so well, but I packed my things up again and headed out. After about an hour in line, I just wasn't feeling it and went back to the hotel room to crash. I guess the Hobbit signing just wasn't worth it to me (and I was finally able to get a full nights sleep after 3 nights of little sleep in a row).

Saturday was pretty amazing- I got up at 6:30 again after having the hotel room all to myself (everyone else was in the Hall H line). I went to the Avatar Legacy fan panel, which was great. Made a new friend, Emily, who was dressed as Avatar Kyoshi. The panel itself was awesome and Jessie Flower, the voice of Toph was there (cosplaying as Toph, too!) There was even a cosplay contest. After that panel, I went to see how the line was for the Mass Effect panel and got in line for that. Saw some amazing cosplayers and the panel for that was fantastic! Got the first look at our male/female heroes, the mako, and a video of it. AND I FINALLY FOUND A TALI AND GOT MY PICTURE WITH HER YAY!!!! I then went down to the exhibit hall to pick up a piece that I had commissioned on Thursday- it was a Korrasami piece (what else?) by a guy I had seen last year and he did a fantastic job. I am SO happy with how it turned out... it was so beautiful! Finally I headed over to the nightclub they were having the Legend of Korra party at (it was from 4-7pm) and ran into Emily again. They had a bunch of TV's and PS4's set up with the game that we could play (which was fantastic, by the way), an open bar (with Avatar themed drinks), Korra themed food, a signing (which only the first 50 people were able to do, which no one realized!) I got another small poster signed (artwork for the cover of the game) AND I got Janet Varney- voice of Korra- to sign my Korrasami artwork!!! David Faustino, the voice of Mako, highly approved of it and is a Korrasami shipper, too. I called Bryke out on trolling us this season with all the Korrasami /no shame. There was also a Trivia contest that I answered a question on, but I already owned the book 2 DVD, so I gave it to my friend, Emily. (I literally had just bought it before coming to SDCC). The party was great- it was the highlight of SDCC this year for me. After that, there was a Legend of Korra fan dinner that Emily and I went to at the Spaghetti Factory. That was.... alright- I sat at a table with a bunch of people who already knew one another and I felt like the odd one out, so it wasn't super enjoyable for me. It was around 9:30 by the time we ate. But I did get to meet a ton of great people at the party and dinner- the Legend of Korra fans are the nicest group of people and I do not regret dedicating most of my time with them. They are fantastic and I would love to see them again next year.

Sunday was just a 'finish buying gifts for everyone' kind of day and I needed to check out the rest of the exhibit hall. I said goodbye to Joyce, a friend of my mentor I am working with this summer in research, who I met this weekend (Joyce was super awesome and kind to me, it was great to meet her). I ate lunch at the hotel, grabbed my things, headed to the airport, and finally got home after an exhausting trip at 2:30am...

SO- that was SDCC 2014... Do I have regrets? Yes. Did I have an amazing time? You bet! Would I do it again next year? Hell yes, I'm already working on planning that! You just cannot do everything at SDCC, so that is just something you have to get over on day 1.